Italian cruiser Liguria

Last updated

Italian cruiser Liguria 1899 IWM Q 22390.jpg
Liguria at anchor in 1899
History
Flag of Italy (1861-1946) crowned.svgItaly
NameLiguria
NamesakeRegion of Liguria
Builder Gio. Ansaldo & C.
Laid down1 July 1889
Launched8 June 1893
Completed1 December 1894
FateSold for scrapping, 15 May 1920
General characteristics
Class and type Regioni-class protected cruiser
Displacement
Length84.8 m (278 ft 3 in)
Beam12.03 m (39 ft 6 in)
Draft4.67 m (15 ft 4 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed18.1 knots (33.5 km/h; 20.8 mph)
Range2,100  nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement213–278
Armament
Armor

Liguria was a protected cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy). She was the fourth of six Regioni-class cruisers, all of which were named for regions of Italy. Liguria was built by the Ansaldo shipyard in Genoa; her keel was laid in July 1889, she was launched in June 1893, and was commissioned into the fleet in December 1894. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).

Contents

Liguria served in a variety of roles throughout her career. She frequently was assigned to the main fleet, but in 1903–1905 she circumnavigated the world on a diplomatic and scientific mission under the Duke of the Abruzzi. In 1906, she conducted tests with coaling while at sea, and from 1908 to 1911, she was fitted with an experimental observation balloon. She saw extensive action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912. She took part in the seizure of Benghazi, provided gunfire support to the defenders of Tripoli, and conducted bombardments of Ottoman ports in western Libya and the Red Sea coast of Arabia. She was still in service during World War I as a training ship, but she did not see action during the conflict. Liguria was eventually sold for scrap in May 1921.

Design

Plan and profile drawing of the Regioni class Regioni-class cruiser plan and profile.jpg
Plan and profile drawing of the Regioni class

Liguria was 84.8 meters (278 ft 3 in) long overall and had a beam of 12.03 m (39 ft 6 in) and a draft of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). Specific displacement figures have not survived for individual members of the class, but they displaced 2,245 to 2,689 long tons (2,281 to 2,732  t ) normally and 2,411 to 3,110 long tons (2,450 to 3,160 t) at full load. The ships had a ram bow and a flush deck. Each vessel was fitted with a pair of pole masts. She had a crew of between 213 and 278. [1]

Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal triple-expansion steam engines that drove two screw propellers. Steam was supplied by four cylindrical fire-tube boilers that were vented into two funnels. [1] On her speed trials, she reached a maximum of 18.1 knots (33.5 km/h; 20.8 mph) at 5,536 indicated horsepower (4,128 kW). [2] The ship had a cruising radius of about 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [1]

Liguria was armed with a main battery of four 15 cm (5.9 in) L/40 guns mounted singly, with two side by side forward and two side by side aft. A secondary battery of six 12 cm (4.7 in) L/40 guns were placed between them, with three on each broadside. Close-range defense against torpedo boats consisted of eight 57 mm (2.24 in) guns two 37 mm (1.5 in) guns, and a pair of machine guns. She was also equipped with two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. Liguria was protected by a 50 mm (2 in) thick deck, and her conning tower had 50 mm thick sides. [1]

Service history

Liguria towing Sterope during coaling underway tests in 1906 Liguria towing Sterope.png
Liguria towing Sterope during coaling underway tests in 1906

Liguria was built by the Ansaldo shipyard in Genoa; her keel was laid on 1 July 1889. [1] Shortages of funding slowed the completion Liguria and her sister ships. Tight budgets forced the Navy to reduce the pace of construction so that the funds could be used to keep the active fleet in service. [3] It took nearly four years to complete the hull, which was launched on 8 June 1893. Fitting-out work proceeded much more quickly, and the new cruiser was ready for service a year and a half later. She was commissioned into the fleet on 1 December 1894. [1] That year, Liguria was assigned to the Third Division of the Italian fleet, along with San Martino, [4] an ancient center battery ironclad, which had been launched in 1862. [5]

In 1902–1903, Liguria was in the main Italian fleet; while in their normal peacetime training routine, the ships of the main fleet were kept in commission for exercises for seven months of the year. For the remaining five months, they were kept in a partial state of readiness with reduced crews. [6] [7] From 1903 to 1905, under the command of the Duke of the Abruzzi, Liguria circumnavigated the world on a diplomatic and scientific tour. [8] [9] Leaving La Spezia on 29 August 1903, she crossed the Atlantic to New Orleans before stops in Havana, Trinidad and Buenos Aires. She then went up the Pacific coast to San Francisco before making a crossing southeasterly crossing to Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. From Australia she turned north to visit China before turning south again for stops in Bangkok, Singapore and Java. She crossed the Indian Ocean, stopping in Madras and Massawa before returning via the Suez Canal to La Spezia on 18 April 1905. The ship had stopped in 114 ports and crossed the equator six times. [9]

In late 1906, the ship took part in experiments with coaling while underway. She towed the collier SS Sterope at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) while coal was transferred via the towing cable. An average of 60 t (59 long tons; 66 short tons) of coal was transferred per hour during the test. [10] Starting in 1908, Liguria was modified to operate an observation balloon. This service, which lasted until 1911, involved towing a "draken" balloon—invented by the Germans August von Parseval and Rudolf von Sigsfeld—to spot naval mines for the fleet. [11] [12]

At the outbreak of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, Liguria was stationed in Italian Eritrea with four other cruisers. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Sea, and on 18 October she joined the escort for a troop convoy headed to Benghazi. The convoy was heavily protected against a possible Ottoman attack; the escort comprised the four Regina Elena-class pre-dreadnought battleships, two other cruisers, and five destroyers. The Italian fleet bombarded the city the next morning after the Ottoman garrison refused to surrender. During the bombardment, parties from the ships and the infantry from the troopships went ashore. The Italians quickly forced the Ottomans to withdraw into the city by evening. After a short siege, the Ottoman forces withdrew on 29 October, leaving the city to the Italians. [13]

Liguria thereafter moved to Tripoli, where she supported the Italians who had taken the city against Turkish counterattacks. On 9 November, she, the armored cruiser Carlo Alberto, the minelayer Partenope, and the torpedo boat Cigno provided critical gunfire support that broke a series of Ottoman attacks on the city. A month later, Liguria joined Partenope and the torpedo boats Dardo and Euro for a series of bombardments on the ports of Zuwarah, Misrata, and Argub. Liguria then returned to Tripoli with Carlo Alberto, the torpedo cruiser Iride, and several torpedo boats while most of the Italian fleet returned to Italy for refitting. In January 1912, Liguria and her sister Elba were transferred to the Red Sea, along with a pair of fast mail steamers. The cruiser fleet in the Red Sea then began a campaign of coastal bombardments of Ottoman ports in the area. A blockade was proclaimed of the Ottoman ports, which included the cities of Al Luḩayyah and Al Hudaydah. The Ottomans eventually agreed to surrender in October, ending the war. [14]

By the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, Liguria was assigned to the Third Division of the First Squadron as a training ship. [15] Italy declared neutrality at the start of the war, but by May 1915, the Triple Entente had convinced the Italians to enter the war against the Central Powers. [16] The old cruiser nevertheless saw no action during the war. She was sold for scrap on 15 May 1921 and was subsequently broken up. [1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fraccaroli, p. 349.
  2. ↑ Notes on Ships and Torpedo Boats 1896, p. 67.
  3. ↑ Notes on Ships and Torpedo Boats 1891, p. 41.
  4. ↑ Garbett 1894, p. 565.
  5. ↑ Fraccaroli, p. 339.
  6. ↑ Garbett 1902, p. 1075.
  7. ↑ Brassey, p. 60.
  8. ↑ Cauli 2019, pp. 82–84.
  9. 1 2 Tenderini & Shandrick 1997, pp. 71–72.
  10. ↑ Cox, pp. 175–176.
  11. ↑ Fraccaroli, p. 350.
  12. ↑ Cernuschi & O'Hara, p. 61.
  13. ↑ Beehler, pp. 10, 27–29.
  14. ↑ Beehler, pp. 35, 47–52, 60, 70, 95.
  15. ↑ The New International Encyclopaedia, p. 469.
  16. ↑ Halpern, p. 140.

Related Research Articles

Italian battleship <i>Ammiraglio di Saint Bon</i> Pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Royal Navy

Ammiraglio di Saint Bon was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Italian Regia Marina built during the 1890s. She was laid down in July 1893, launched in April 1897, and completed in May 1901. She was the lead ship of her class, and had one sister ship, Emanuele Filiberto. The ship was armed with a main battery of four 254 mm (10 in) guns and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots.

Italian cruiser <i>Calabria</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Calabria was a small protected cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1890s, intended for service in Italy's overseas empire. She was laid down in 1892, launched in 1894, and completed in 1897, and was armed with a main battery of four 15-centimeter (5.9 in) and four 12 cm (4.7 in) guns. Calabria spent significant periods abroad, ranging from deployments to Chinese, North American, and Australian waters, in addition to periods in Italy's East African empire. She saw action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1912 in the Red Sea, primarily bombarding Turkish ports in the area. Calabria was reclassified as a gunboat in 1921, reduced to a training ship in 1924, and sold for scrap at the end of the year.

Italian cruiser <i>Etruria</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Etruria was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1891 by the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard of Livorno. She was the third of six vessels of the Regioni class, all of which were named for current, or in the case of Etruria, former regions of Italy. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of 18 knots.

Italian cruiser <i>Lombardia</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Lombardia was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1890s. The ship was the second of six vessels in its class, but was the first to enter service. Named for the region of Lombardy, she was laid down in November 1889, was launched in July 1890, and was completed in February 1893. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of 18 knots.

Italian cruiser <i>Elba</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Elba was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina. She was the fifth of six Regioni-class ships, all of which were named for regions of Italy, with the exception of Elba, which was named for the island. Elba was built by the Regio Cantieri di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard; her keel was laid in September 1890, she was launched in August 1893, and she was commissioned in February 1896. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of nearly 18 knots.

Italian cruiser <i>Puglia</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Puglia was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina. She was the last of six Regioni-class ships, all of which were named for regions of Italy. She was built in Taranto between October 1893 and May 1901, when she was commissioned into the fleet. The ship was equipped with a main armament of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns, and she could steam at a speed of 20 knots.

Regioni-class cruiser Protected cruiser class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Regioni class was a group of six protected cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the late 1880s through the early 1900s. The class comprised Umbria, Lombardia, Etruria, Liguria, Elba, and Puglia, all of which were named for regions of Italy with the exception of Elba, which was named for the island. The class is sometimes referred as the Umbria class, for the first ship to be laid down. The ships, built by four different shipyards, varied slightly in their size, speed, and armament, but all could steam at about 18 knots and their main armament consisted of four 15-centimeter (5.9 in) guns and six 12 cm (4.7 in) guns.

Italian cruiser <i>Agordat</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Agordat was a torpedo cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the late 1890s. She was the lead ship of the Agordat class, which had one other member, Coatit. The ship, which was armed with twelve 76 mm (3 in) guns and two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, was too slow and short-ranged to be able to scout effectively for the fleet, so her career was limited. She saw action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912, where she provided gunfire support to Italian troops in North Africa. She assisted in the occupation of Constantinople in the aftermath of World War I, and in 1919 she was reclassified as a gunboat. In January 1923, Agordat was sold for scrapping.

Italian cruiser <i>Coatit</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Coatit was a torpedo cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the late 1890s. She was the second and final member of the Agordat class. The ship, which was armed with twelve 76 mm (3 in) guns and two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, was too slow and short-ranged to be able to scout effectively for the fleet, so her career was limited. She saw action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911–1912, where she provided gunfire support to Italian troops in North Africa. She also caused a minor diplomatic incident from an attack on retreating Ottoman soldiers in Anatolia. Coatit was part of an international fleet sent to Constantinople when the city appeared to be at risk of falling to the Bulgarian Army during the First Balkan War. In 1919, she was converted into a minelayer and was sold for scrap in 1920.

<i>Agordat</i>-class cruiser Torpedo cruiser class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Agordat class was a pair of torpedo cruisers built by the Italian Regia Marina in the late 1890s. The two ships, Agordat and Coatit, were armed with twelve 76 mm (3 in) guns and two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. They proved to be too slow and have too short a cruising radius to be of much use, so their service careers were limited. Their most significant action came during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, where both ships were employed in shore bombardment duties. Neither ship saw action in World War I. Coatit was converted into a minelayer in 1919 and sold for scrapping the following year, while Agordat was rearmed as a gunboat in 1921; she followed her sister to the breakers in 1923.

Italian cruiser <i>Etna</i> Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Etna was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina built in the 1880s. She was the lead ship of the Etna class, which included three sister ships. Named for Mount Etna on the island of Sicily, the ship was laid down in January 1883, was launched in September 1885, and was completed in December 1887. She was armed with a main battery of two 254 mm (10 in) and a secondary battery of six 152 mm (6 in) guns, and could steam at a speed of around 17 knots.

Italian cruiser <i>Partenope</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Partenope was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s, the lead ship of her class, which included seven other vessels. The ship was built by the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia; she was laid down in June 1888, was launched in December 1889, and was completed in September 1890. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns.

Italian cruiser <i>Minerva</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Minerva was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. The second of eight ships, Minerva was built by Gio. Ansaldo & C.; her keel was laid down in February 1889, she was launched in February 1892, and she was commissioned in August that year. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Minerva spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She was converted into a minelayer in 1909–1910. She did not see significant action during the Italo-Turkish War in 1911 or World War I in 1915–1918, though she was used to lay defensive minefields during the latter conflict. The ship was sold for scrap in 1921.

Italian cruiser <i>Aretusa</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Aretusa was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. Laid down in June 1889 at the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard, she was launched in March 1891 and was commissioned in September 1892. Her main armament were her six torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of ten small-caliber guns. Aretusa spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. At the start of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, she was assigned to the Red Sea Squadron in Italian Eritrea. She bombarded Ottoman positions in the Arabian Peninsula and took part in a blockade of the coast. Worn out by the end of the war in October 1912, Aretusa was sold for scrap that December and broken up.

Italian cruiser <i>Caprera</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Caprera was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built by the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard; her keel was laid in July 1891, she was launched in May 1894, and was commissioned in December 1895. Her main armament were her five torpedo tubes, which were supported by a battery of eleven small-caliber guns. Caprera spent most of her career in the main Italian fleet, where she was primarily occupied with training exercises. She served in the Red Sea during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, where she conducted shore bombardments and blockaded Ottoman ports in the area. Caprera did not remain in service long after the war, being sold for scrap in May 1913.

Italian cruiser <i>Folgore</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Folgore was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina, the lead ship of the Folgore class. Armed with three 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes and six light guns, she was capable of a top speed of 17 knots. She was built in the mid-1880s, was launched in September 1886, and was completed in February 1887. The ship spent her first two years in service either conducting training maneuvers with the main Italian fleet or in reserve status. She was badly damaged in a collision with the cruiser Giovanni Bausan in 1889, which reduced her effectiveness and cut her career short. Folgore spent the next eleven years primarily in the reserve, until she was sold for scrap in April 1901 and broken up.

Italian cruiser <i>Goito</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Goito was a torpedo cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was the lead ship of the Goito class, which included three other vessels. Goito was built by the Regio Cantiere di Castellammare di Stabia shipyard between September 1885 and February 1888. She was armed with a variety of light guns and five 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes, and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots. The ship served the duration of her career in the main Italian fleet. Her early service was primarily occupied with training exercises; front-line duties ended in 1897 when she was converted into a minelayer, though she continued to participate in fleet exercises. During World War I, Goito laid defensive minefields in the Adriatic Sea. She was eventually sold for scrap in 1920 and broken up.

Italian cruiser <i>Montebello</i> Torpedo cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Montebello was the second of four Goito-class torpedo cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s. She was built at the Arsenale di La Spezia between September 1885 and January 1889, when she entered service. She was armed with a variety of light guns and four 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes, and was capable of a top speed of 18 knots. Montebello spent her active-duty career with the main Italian fleet, where she frequently took part in annual training exercises. In 1903, she was withdrawn from front-line service and converted into a training ship for engine room personnel; she served in this capacity until 1920, when she was sold for scrap.

<i>Partenope</i>-class cruiser Torpedo cruiser class of the Italian Royal Navy

The Partenope class was a group of eight torpedo cruisers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the 1880s and 1890s. The class comprised Partenope, Minerva, Euridice, Urania, Iride, Aretusa, Caprera, and Calatafimi. Based on the earlier cruiser Tripoli, the Partenope class represented a temporary embrace of the Jeune École, which emphasized the use of cheap torpedo-armed vessels as a means to defeat the much more expensive ironclad battleships of the day. To fulfill their intended role, the vessels were armed with five or six 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.